I understand. I’m just wondering how the BSA coulda better finessed the situation from a PR perspective.
Probably wasn't possible. I think the scout membership aspect came to a head when some older scouts starting 'coming out' to their families, schools, et. So, they were also out to their scout troop and leaders. That just blew the question wide open: should the scouts allow openly gay members to remain members?
Then one Eagle scout formed that 'Scouting for All' organization and gay activists became involved as well as the PC elements throughout society, and gays in the scouts became another leftist cause.
And in recent years, somehow they allowed people pushing for gay membership into the BSA national organization, and some corporate sponsors threatened to stop donations, then the national organization caved.
It probably couldn't have been finessed because of the bully nature of gay activism. They'd had to have fought it in a tough, stubborn and principled manner.